I am excited for my friend, Vanessa, and her family today. They (and by they, I mean Vanessa, her husband, 3 children, and sister-in-law!) are in China to bring home their daughter, Lia. They have been able to blog their adventure and let friends and family follow along.

What is the weather like today where you live? Hot, dry and windy. Humidity seems low today. How do I know? My hair is straight.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you? Funny question. Do I seem career-minded to you? No? I would be, I think, if I had a career. Maybe I need to go find one. One that involves cameras.

Salad

What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.? Most windows have 2 inch white blinds, rarely closed. Let the sun in..... Those that don't have blinds are completely naked. A bonus to having no neighbors.

Main Course

Name something that instantly cheers you up. A cool, sunshine-filled day

Dessert

How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning? Way too often. Always at least once, usually more than twice.

My house has been quiet this weekend. Jackson moved out, or so it seems. He spent the night with a friend Saturday, and still has not returned. Payne enjoyed the "benefits" of being an only child yesterday - he got to mow the entire yard, he got to pick up all the scattered Legos by himself, etc.

A thunderstorm moved through Saturday night. We got about an inch right here at the house, and less scattered around. My grass needed it badly. It kept Jon from cutting grain Sunday, but didn't keep him from being busy. He and Payne worked in the yard and out at the pig barn. We are having to expand the barn due to Baby J's 4-H participation in the fall.

And I accomplished something myself: I vacuumed my car AND cleaned it out. Amazing what a little shine will do for her. I do it at least once a year, whether she needs it or not.

Perhaps posting a picture from our vacation will prompt me to get the files off my computer and sent to the lab to be printed....or maybe not.

12 years ago, I was pregnant in June with our oldest. I spent time every day swimming, beating both the heat and my growing belly. I spent the days reading, preparing for the baby, taking snacks and meals to the field, riding in the combine with Farmer Boy.

I led what I thought was a life of leisure that summer.

I was wrong.

This may be the life of leisure, the one I am experiencing right now.

The boys leave the house early, and come home late. Yes, I am still responsible for the meals, especially dinner in the field. But I have All. Day. To. Myself. Wow!

One reason we had kids was to provide labor. :) 12 years later, we have it. I am not sure I am ready for this, though:

What is more frightening than Payne unleashed, on a tractor, in a field all by himself all day, is that Baby J thinks he too is ready to drive a stalk cutter.

*I can't claim this labor is cheap. We pay the going rate, plus room and board, laundry, etc, etc, etc.....Plus, we have to pay for college too. :)

I am still trying to pick up all the pieces and put them back together after two weeks of vacations.

Leakey and Concan were fun, despite the lack of raging flowing water. The Frio flowed over this crossing last year:

Some of the group made the usual float trip and ending up walking most of the way. The other part of the group camped out here, at the crossing by Seven Bluff, and let the kids play. We all hung out here the second day, rather than do another round of walking the river.

Saturday night, the big kids went to the dance at Garner. Payne actually danced. With girls - girls he did not know. Not that he asked them their names, or anything like that. But he did ask them to dance, and that is a big step for him.

The house is quiet today. Payne is in College Station at Livestock Judging Camp. Please stop laughing at me. I realize the mere fact I have little farmer boys is funny enough. It's even more hysterical that there is a pig barn. At. My. House.

But my child, my oldest, the one most like me, is indeed at a camp to learn to judge animals. I said stop laughing. You don't want to snort your diet coke out of your nose. That snorting sound isn't very attractive, anyway. :)